BoxRec

I am always intrigued why there is such subterfuge over the money professional boxers get paid for fights. In other sports I follow (snooker, golf, tennis), I routinely see the prize money on offer, depending on which round of a tournament they might be eliminated in/or position they might finish in; in football, players' salaries are also widely reported in newspapers.

As a spectator, I am interested in what they're getting paid - they are prizefighters after all - and seeing a redacted copy of Miguel Vasquez' offer to fight Ricky Burns, hearing Tony Thompson grumbling about how little he was paid for the Price fight, all the talk of Carl Froch's highest purse might have been etc, just reminded me that there is so little transparency around this, even at top level.

As a lad, I used to marvel at the sums reportedly paid to Hagler, Hearns, Leonard et al. Has non-disclosure become the norm only in recent years?

levi billups wrote:I am always intrigued why there is such subterfuge over the money professional boxers get paid for fights. In other sports I follow (snooker, golf, tennis), I routinely see the prize money on offer, depending on which round of a tournament they might be eliminated in/or position they might finish in; in football, players' salaries are also widely reported in newspapers.

As a spectator, I am interested in what they're getting paid - they are prizefighters after all - and seeing a redacted copy of Miguel Vasquez' offer to fight Ricky Burns, hearing Tony Thompson grumbling about how little he was paid for the Price fight, all the talk of Carl Froch's highest purse might have been etc, just reminded me that there is so little transparency around this, even at top level.

As a lad, I used to marvel at the sums reportedly paid to Hagler, Hearns, Leonard et al. Has non-disclosure become the norm only in recent years?

I think it's relevent to gain against loss, like in any business. A boxer can get paid 5k for a fight but training costs, diet, gear etc may cost 2k and the fighter makes 3k. If they fight 5 times a year not a lot of dough. Thompson reckoned he lost money but it was probably worth it as he may get one more big money fight thanks to that right hand. Haye used to spend apparent 1000s on his sophistocated diet in training camp so a lot to take in to consideration, Inflation rises with purses

speaking of purses i have just read a conversation between promoters on facebook who i wont name , one is unlicensed and one is pro , obviously debating the differences etc etc , wont go into all that as its an old debate , but what caught my eye is that this pro promoter claims that the central area council say boxers have to be paid a minimum of £1000 , thats bollocks aint it ????? , ive seen numerous boxers walking away from the pro game because they were fed up with earning next to nowt , i know a boxer who was telling me hes the only one in his gym thats always earned a minimum of a grand but hes with midlands area rather than central .

Since I've been a pro and taking into account training costs, purses received and paying my trainer etc etc I've earned about minus £15,000 in just over 3 years....

We get paid well us lads lol

Looking On wrote:speaking of purses i have just read a conversation between promoters on facebook who i wont name , one is unlicensed and one is pro , obviously debating the differences etc etc , wont go into all that as its an old debate , but what caught my eye is that this pro promoter claims that the central area council say boxers have to be paid a minimum of £1000 , thats bollocks aint it ????? , ive seen numerous boxers walking away from the pro game because they were fed up with earning next to nowt , i know a boxer who was telling me hes the only one in his gym thats always earned a minimum of a grand but hes with midlands area rather than central .

Not sure the area council can set a minimum wage but on the other hand it's been a while since I've seen a boxer gross under a grand and to be fair after expenses and trainer/manger fees they''ll b lucky to net 700. I've also heard of boxers boxing for next to nothing just to get out on a show.

Macho man what do you mean fighters have to pay to be on shows I've never heard about that

MachoMan09 wrote:Quite a few fighters have to pay to be on shows.

I never heard of that here in Usa. No fighter I know would do that . What part of the World are you in?

lad i know boxed for free a couple of months ago as he took the fight on just a few days notice out of town and could only manage around 55 ticket sales , and that was one of the more well know promoters too

They or their promoter or manager will put a few grand up front for tickets etc to guarantee to get on the show. so fighters will sell the tickets they will make that money back plus their wage for example if i was managed by dave coldwell he will go to the promoter of the show and say give me 5 grand with tickets my lad will sell them if you put them on the show
so their not really paying to get on the show if u think about it its not costing them money unless they dont sell the tickets

cmck2009 wrote:They or their promoter or manager will put a few grand up front for tickets etc to guarantee to get on the show. so fighters will sell the tickets they will make that money back plus their wage for example if i was managed by dave coldwell he will go to the promoter of the show and say give me 5 grand with tickets my lad will sell them if you put them on the show
so their not really paying to get on the show if u think about it its not costing them money unless they dont sell the tickets

Yep think your not far off with that

I've always said if you can make enough money from a hobby to live on then you're a lucky man.

I think fighters are under a lot of pressure to make weight get the gym and sell tickets,sometimes its probably better to be the away fighter as you are under no pressure to sell tickets,another thing a "journey man" probably earns more money over a year than an up and coming prospect. ive known a few pro boxers personally over the past 12 years and it seems a grand is the going rate until you reach boarder line title level,ive known fighters to fight for 600,take away his managers fee and trainers fee he is coming away with about 400 to take punches to the head for 4 or 6 rounds,and the promotors and managers are the only b*stards making any money

fasteddie wrote:I think fighters are under a lot of pressure to make weight get the gym and sell tickets,sometimes its probably better to be the away fighter as you are under no pressure to sell tickets,another thing a "journey man" probably earns more money over a year than an up and coming prospect. ive known a few pro boxers personally over the past 12 years and it seems a grand is the going rate until you reach boarder line title level,ive known fighters to fight for 600,take away his managers fee and trainers fee he is coming away with about 400 to take punches to the head for 4 or 6 rounds,and the promotors and managers are the only b*stards making any money

I agree with everything you've written until the last line. I can wholeheartedly promise you that small hall promoters are happy if they can break even these days.

like froch said on the sky sports thing were him johnny nelson,amir khan,david haye and i forget the other guy from the olympics (sorry),froch said unless you have an olympic medal like khan or the showman ship of naseem you have to earn your right for money,you hear all sorts of figures getting flashed around but like froch said he fought charles adamu for 10 grand and owed the lot out cause that the life of a boxer,they are hoping to hit the big time were they can train with a clear head instead of thinking i got to fight cause i owe this one money or i owe that one money,personally i think its sad. i hear price's purse a few fights back was £70 grand,how can a show earn that amount back plus every other boxers wage too just on ticket sales,i doubt bunny would give him any money for the show if the viewing figures wasnt big. i also hear of another fighter earning £400 a week plus his digs getting paid cause he was away from home,plus a grand a round. and this was when he was a prospect,he hadnt even got to the top english fighter at this point.

The Insider wrote:

fasteddie wrote:I think fighters are under a lot of pressure to make weight get the gym and sell tickets,sometimes its probably better to be the away fighter as you are under no pressure to sell tickets,another thing a "journey man" probably earns more money over a year than an up and coming prospect. ive known a few pro boxers personally over the past 12 years and it seems a grand is the going rate until you reach boarder line title level,ive known fighters to fight for 600,take away his managers fee and trainers fee he is coming away with about 400 to take punches to the head for 4 or 6 rounds,and the promotors and managers are the only b*stards making any money

I agree with everything you've written until the last line. I can wholeheartedly promise you that small hall promoters are happy if they can break even these days.

Agreed , People assume promoters are milking the boxers , its really not the case .

The Insider wrote:

fasteddie wrote:I think fighters are under a lot of pressure to make weight get the gym and sell tickets,sometimes its probably better to be the away fighter as you are under no pressure to sell tickets,another thing a "journey man" probably earns more money over a year than an up and coming prospect. ive known a few pro boxers personally over the past 12 years and it seems a grand is the going rate until you reach boarder line title level,ive known fighters to fight for 600,take away his managers fee and trainers fee he is coming away with about 400 to take punches to the head for 4 or 6 rounds,and the promotors and managers are the only b*stards making any money

I agree with everything you've written until the last line. I can wholeheartedly promise you that small hall promoters are happy if they can break even these days.

ye i probably should of said the big boys are the only ones making money and the small managers/promotors are left to fend for themselves with little small hall shows dotted around their local area hoping to make the big time.

Interesting thread.

It's certainly a very tough game to make any money out of that's for sure. Not only are we in the midst of a seemingly endless economic recession which has meant that people in general are much less willing or able to go to many shows given the relatively high cost of watching even lower level boxing but fighters only actually get paid when they fight and from that they have to deduct a multitude of expenses (trainers fees, cutman, promotor percentage, manager fees etc).

i dont begrudge any boxer making what they can cause they are only getting paid when they fight and if they get get injured or the fight gets pulled from the show they dont get paid which is a disgrace. if a boxer doesnt have a sponsor then he relys solely on his fight purse which will probably be owed out cause they have to borrow to get through to their next fight. so for the likes of khan,degale,gavin,price and all the london olympic guys they have made/ virtually made it before they lace up their pro gloves and its deserved caue they made the sacrifices at a very young age when all their mates were going parties and involved with girls or whatever else they stayed focused and made the commitment. so for me the money a fighter makes is between them and their promotor/manager,its one of the only sports in the world were they can truely say they have earned every penny.

Good thread & your all right , fighters used to get between £600& &1500 (away lad) to box , now unless your a journeyman you have to sell at least 100 tickets like bessey said to get a grand, I think it's a piss take personally , so now fighters also have to promote themselves aswell as getting ready, promoters are only ones making money now , they using recession as an excuse to do this it's bullshit IMO

Appreciate it varies a lot, but would anyone be able to share a rough estimate of the purse (for both holder and challenger) in the following:

- Area title
- English title
- British title
- European title

Superheavy wrote:Appreciate it varies a lot, but would anyone be able to share a rough estimate of the purse (for both holder and challenger) in the following:

- Area title
- English title
- British title
- European title

Depends if TV is involved and tickets sold. It's probably not as much as you think.

Superheavy wrote:Appreciate it varies a lot, but would anyone be able to share a rough estimate of the purse (for both holder and challenger) in the following:

- Area title
- English title
- British title
- European title

I know a fighter who has received 8k for a British title fight.

I Know a guy who had 4k purse to challenge for a Brit title in the late 90's, and a champion who had 10k to defend at a similar time.
I think at that point you got about 20k purse for defending on the big shows.

Chris W 1982 wrote:

Superheavy wrote:Appreciate it varies a lot, but would anyone be able to share a rough estimate of the purse (for both holder and challenger) in the following:

- Area title
- English title
- British title
- European title

I know a fighter who has received 8k for a British title fight.

i know someone who recieved less than that for a british title fight too,i also know someone who recieved 8k for a commonwealth title shot

its a disgrace when managers who manage these boxers dont earn 1p in the build up to promote a fighter but reep the most reward. unless your scottish there is one manager who wont even bat an eye lid at you until you win a belt then he will acknowledge you,prince arron is one of the boxers he done this too.,its bull shit